LABOUR ON FARMS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 110, 5 November 1935, Page 11

LABOUR ON FARMS

CONDITIONS AND WAGES

(Saocial to the "Evening Post.")

PALMERSTON N., This Day,

A little more was heard at the meeting of the Manawatu executive of the Farmers 'Union on the question of farm labour and the conditions under which young men and boys were asked to work.

Mr. H. J. McLeavey (Ohau)" said he thought inspections should be made of the conditions under which the men had to work. Living conditions, hours, and remuneration should be more closely supervised. He knew of several instances where boys were working under conditions he certainly would not permit a son of his own to work under. While farmers allowed such conditions to persist, they were largely to blame for the shortage of labour. He thought payment at an hourly rate would have to be introduced. When that was done farm workers might get a rest in the middle of the day, instead of working as slaves and worse.

Mr. N. Campbell expressed the opinion that the cases of mistreatment were isolated, and in the majority of cases the boys were taken in as members of the family. There was an inevitable drudgery about farm work.

Mr. E. G. Beard said that if a carpenter could get 2s 3d an hour an accomplished farm hand should get at least as much; his skill was no less.

That farmers were unable to pay their men a wage commensurate with the hours worked was the general opinion of (lie meeting.